1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of laparoscopic or endoscopic surgery, and more particularly to a handle mechanism for manipulating a distal laparoscopic surgical tool inserted through a small incision in the body and positioned within the body adjacent an organ which is to be excised or repaired, allowing surgical procedures to be performed thereon.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A surgeon, when performing an operation on a patient, is often obstructed in his efforts to excise diseased or damaged tissues or organs by surrounding tissues, fatty deposits, arteries, or other organs. It has generally been the case, when performing gastro intestinal surgery, i.e. surgery within the abdominal cavity, to make a large cut in the abdomen wall to produce a suitable opening to allow access to the interior organs. This cut was generally large enough to allow the use of human hands, either those of the surgeons or those of a member of the surgical team, as a retractor. Surgical personnel would thus insert their hands through the incision into the abdominal cavity to push and hold organs and other obstructing components away from the surgical objective.
Recently, at least in part as a result of the evolution in electronic video technology, a surgical procedure known as laparoscopic surgery has undergone a marked increase in popularity. The laparoscope consists of a long thin rigid tube, and residing at one end of the tube is a viewing lens, while at the opposite end is a camera hook up and an eye piece. A small incision in the area of the surgical objective is made and the laparoscope is partially inserted into this incision, viewing lens first. High definition video cameras and monitors are then attached to the camera hook up connector on the part of the laparoscope which remains positioned exteriorly of the body. In this manner, a surgical team can get a clear picture of the affected internal area without resorting to radical, disfiguring surgical incisions to physically open the patient. Other small incisions may then be made through the surface of the skin in the vicinity of the surgical objective. Through these incisions, miniaturized surgical instruments such as scissors, forceps, clamps and scalpels may be inserted to perform various surgical procedures. The entire interiorly performed surgical procedure is monitored from the exterior through the high definition television monitor. In this manner radical incisions and scarring are avoided while undertaking surgical repair or removal of damaged or diseased organs. Another benefit of laparoscopic surgery is the significantly reduced recovery time, when compared to standard surgical procedures, due to the minuscule size of the scalpel incisions and avoidance of the massive internal traumatization known in standard surgical procedures. Accompanying the reduced recovery time are, of course, greatly reduced costs.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a device which may be partially inserted through a tiny surgical incision in the abdominal wall, which may be used during laparoscopic surgery within the abdominal cavity, and which is useful to manipulate an endoscopic surgical tool held distally at the end of the device within the abdominal cavity adjacent that organ which is being excised or repaired.
Several implements are known which are useful to perform certain surgical procedures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,898,915 discloses an implement for particularly tying off open blood vessels astringently. When the operating handle is suitably depressed, a catch is released so that the main slide member under the action of a spring will slide quickly forward into the casing, allowing the tying head of the implement to move over the forceps, with its front surface even extending slightly beyond. For a further device for ligaturing blood vessels see U.S. Pat. No. 2,898,916 wherein by pressing the operating lever against the casing of the device, a second lever connected to the operating lever is moved laterally, and presses with a closing effect against a pivotally connected clamping arm so that it closes against a stationary clamping arm, clamping the blood vessel closed so that it may be ligatured.
However, these types of implements are not useful for imparting longitudinal and rotative movements to various endoscopic tools to manipulate their action during endoscopic surgery.